Thanks to all those reviewers, I'm hoping everyone enjoys this chapter too!

Well done for guessing it was Erza, though sometimes I have the subtlety of a brick! Honestly, it never crossed my mind that Lucy could have been the prophecy child. It's a fantastic idea! Anyway, you would have all been thrown if it had been Ichiya. Just imagine.

Men.

Disclaimer: I don't own FT.

"Erza... Lysander?" Laxus repeated.

"All this time she was right here." Gajeel said in disbelief. Erza herself was frozen in shock, unable to think or feel in that moment. Lucy gave out a shrill cry as Mary lay limp in her arms. This brought Erza back into reality. She held the blonde tightly against her as she tried to come to terms with her own thoughts, conflicting emotions tearing at her mind.

'I'm... Erza Lysander?'

"We'll tell the guild the news," Laxus said, wanting to be away from the emotional scene, "they should know as soon as possible."

Gajeel followed him as they too departed.

"S-she was the last thing I had..." Lucy whispered, "and now she's gone. Just like my mother."

"That's not true," Erza said, pushing her own troubles aside for the sake of Lucy in that moment, "you have me. Natsu. Gray. The rest of Fairy Tail. We're here for you."

Lucy let go of the woman's body and threw herself at Erza, arms wrapping around her neck as she sobbed loudly. Erza returned the embrace, kissing the mage's head softly.

"We should bury her somewhere she would have liked." Erza suggested after the crying subsided. Lucy nodded against her shoulder, finding the strength to pull away.

"In the cemetery, close to my mother. She would have liked that. No coffin though, she said she wanted to give back to nature what it gave to her."

Erza helped the blonde to her feet and picked up Mary's frail form, following Lucy to the aforementioned cemetery. Finding an empty plot and a spare shovel, Erza began to dig as Lucy sat at the side on a step, staring into space. Placing the body into the deep hole, Erza began to shovel the dirt back in until it stood as a large mound.

"Goodbye, Mary-sama. Don't get too cranky with those in the next world," Lucy said softly, words falling out of her mouth as she smiled sadly.

Birds chirped in the trees around them, leaves rustling.

"Thank you for everything, Erza," Lucy spoke, standing up. She walked into the neighbouring gardens, the flowers bright under the sun.

"It wouldn't be right to leave you feeling like this," Erza responded, stabbing the shovel into the mound and wiping her forehead. She followed the girl into the gardens.

"Not just for this. I mean everything. Thanks for saving my life in the crypt. Thanks for trying to save Mary's life. Thanks for helping me so much." the blonde added, turning and taking Erza's hand in her own, metal fingers scraping against the steel of Erza's gauntlets. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Erza could feel herself blush at the contact.

"Then you're welcome, but I do not need thanking," she replied, "I did what is right."

They stood like that for what seemed like hours as spring blossoms flew over them. Lucy felt words push at her throat, but could not utter how she felt, no matter how much each cell in her body burned with the want to. The urge was irresistible, but met the immovable object of her doubts, and fear of rejection held her back. It was eventually Erza that broke the silence.

"Lucy, I-" She began, only to be interrupted by Warren's telepathy.

"Erza, Lucy, Master Makarov wants to see you right away," his voice told.

And with that, the moment was broken, all strength Lucy had gathered leaving her. She sighed.

'Maybe another day.'

When they entered the Fairy Tail building, waves of whispers erupted.

Makarov opened an eye as he sat on the bar, legs crossed.

"You are the last surviving Lysander descendant." He stated, taking a long drink from a mug that was sat next to him.

"So it would seem." Erza responded.

"It explains so much," Lucy said quietly, "like how we could get through Lysander's tomb. I'm sure there were more security measures on it than we had seen, but we got through them because Erza was of the Lysander bloodline. It also explains why I couldn't get through the final barrier."

"And how do you feel, Erza-san?" Mirajane asked kindly, placing a drink down in front of her.

"I don't know. I was just Erza, until I was captured and met Jellal. Then I was Erza Scarlet. Now I'm Erza Lysander, and the fate of this world rests on my shoulders. I don't know how I'm meant to feel." The requip mage answered honestly, looking at her lap.

"To me you don't have to be anyone but yourself," Gray said with a smile, "you are Erza. One of my best friends. Natsu thinks so too, but the idiot is too sick to tell you right now."

"You don't have to be some hero," Laxus added, "you're just Erza the S-Class Fairy Tail mage. Don't get some chip on your shoulder."

"Erza will always be a man in my eyes." Elfman contributed, Evergreen shaking her head in agreement as she sat on his lap. Other utterances of support followed from every member in the building.

"Thank you, everyone," Erza responded sincerely, feeling uplifted by their messages, "when I defeat Moros, I'll dedicate it to my family, Fairy Tail."

"I can drink to that!" Cana shouted, holding up a mug of beer, the liquid spilling down the sides. "Also, to Mary! May she disturb the peace!"

Lucy couldn't help but smile.

"You'd drink to anything." Carla remarked, Cana's only response being to shove a bottle in the Exceed's mouth, to Wendy's despair.

"Is it ethical to get a cat drunk?" Pantherlily asked before shrugging and joining them.

"We don't know when this final battle will occur until Levy deciphers the book to that point," Makarov said, "so in the meantime, I think it's time we had a party! To the death of Moros, who will be slain by our very own Erza!"

A raucous cheer broke out, and the guild hall suddenly became very noisy.

Gajeel stood in the kitchen, chair propped against the door handle to stop any unwanted guests. Checking on his apple pie he watched in content as the cover began to brown.

"Geehee."

Taking it from the oven, he closed the door, heading for the adjoining room where Levy was working hard. Upon being invited to enter after knocking, he saw the girl was visibly exhausted.

"You should eat this," He commanded, pushing aside the book and placing the pie in front of her weary face, "did you find out anything else?"

"I'm close to it," Levy struggled through a yawn, turning her attention to the pie, "did you make this yourself?"

"No, of course not," Gajeel denied, "Mirajane made it. I just thought I'd bring it in."

"Then why are you wearing her baking apron?" Levy asked, unable to stifle a giggle as he looked down and blushed at the pink garment.

"You should rest," the dragon slayer said, swiftly changing the subject, "this book is taking it out of you. You're no use dead on the floor from exhaustion."

"But I'm so close to finishing-"

"I don't care. Juvia can take you back to Fairy Hills when you've finished eating, she said she was leaving soon. You need rest, you look a mess."

"Geez, thanks Prince Charming," Levy shot back, digging the spoon into the pie and eating a piece, "this is so good. Where did you learn how to bake?"

"I don't know how to bake. Like I said, I didn't make it."

Levy snorted, but ate the rest of her cake in a happy silence. When she was finished, she stood and rubbed a smear of flour from Gajeel's face with a thumb, smiling smugly as he looked at the powder guiltily.

"Don't worry, Mr Cold-As-Iron, I won't tell anyone about your sensitive side."

Back in the main hall, celebrations did not seem to be ceasing. Lucy rubbed at her eyes tiredly.

"Are you tired? We could go back to my room," Erza suggested, "I mean, if you want to, I'm not forcing you to or anything-"

"I'd like that," Lucy said, "I think I need a few more parties before I can keep up with you guys."

They slipped out easily into the cool night air, arms linked as they walked to Erza's place at Fairy Hills.

"It's weird, how everyone can be so full of joy when the battle could happen at any moment," Lucy stated, holding Erza's arm a little tighter when a cold breeze tickled her bare legs.

"They believe in me," Erza explained, "everyone is believing in me. That's why I cannot lose; with their strength I can be the strongest mage in the world."

"I believe in you," Lucy said, making Erza smile.

"I'll remember that," she replied, admiring the streets of Magnolia as they bathed in the moonlight.

"I'll be a minute!" Lucy called from the bathroom as Erza rested under the sheets, thankful to be in her own bed again after sleeping in numerous tents. Thinking about Lucy snuggling next to her made her think of other possible events, her face heating up rapidly.

'Stop it, you pervert,' She scolded herself, trying to calm her raging hormones. 'We're just sleeping with each other. Not in that way. This feeling is... is...'

"Are you okay, Erza? You look a little off," Lucy inquired, tilting her head at the girl, "I knew Elfman's curry 'for men' looked suspicious."

"N-no, I'm fine." Erza responded, patting the space next to her. Lucy obliged with the unsaid request, slipping in next to the requip mage and facing away from her. Erza felt like she would faint.

"You're not gonna sleep?" Lucy asked after five minutes of Erza sitting rigidly against the wall.

"O-of course." Erza stumbled, turning off the lamp, and facing the other way. Sometime during the night she felt the blonde's head burrow against her neck. When her desires finally switched off, Erza fell into a satisfying, dreamless sleep to the rhythmic sound of Lucy's steady breathing.